Steam-engine.



PATENTED DEC. 4, 1906. C. L. SNYDBR.

. STEAM ENGINE. .APPLICATION FILED MAR.18. 1905.

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Charla? Jnyoer No. 837,429. PATENTED DBC. 4, 1906.

C. L. SNYDBR.

STEAM ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED MAE.18. i905.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented nec. e, 190e.

Application led March 18,1905. Serial No. 250,729.

To rar/ZZ wlw/rt t Wha/L1 concern: p

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. SNYDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Versailles, in the county of Morgan and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in` Steam Engines, oi' which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to improvements in valves for steam engines; and it consists more particularly in the arrangement and construction of the valve mechanism for controlling the admission andthe exhaust of the steam to and from the cylinder.

The invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in` the claims, and in order that it may be fully understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of an.

engine provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on line II II of Fig. 3 of the casing containing the steam-chests, cylinder, piston, and valvesemployed in carrying out my invention Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of same, taken on line III III of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken on line IV IV of Fig. 2 of one of the balanced valves and the chamber in which it operates. F ig. 5 is a the balanced valve re moved. Fig. 6 is an end view ofthe balanced valve.

In said drawings I have shown my improvements applied to an engine 1 of the ordinary type, mounted upon pedestals 2 and provided With the customary crank-shaft 3.

4 designates an elongated rectangular casing divided into three compartments comprising a live-steam chest 5, a cylinder 6, arranged beneath said steam-chest, and a segmental eXhaust-steam chest 7, partly surrounding the cylinder, which latter is closed at its opposite ends with cylinder-heads 8 and 9.

10 designates a live-steam-supply pipe communicating with the central top portion of steam-chest 5, which latter is subdivided at its ends into tubular compartments 1l by seinicircular partitions 12, formed integral with the top and bottom walls of' saidcliest. Partitions 12 terminate Within a short-distance of the sides of the compartments in order to form steamways 13 for the admission of'live steam'from the steam-chest to said compartments.

The wall of each compartment 11 is provided'with internal annular ribs 15, which form, in conjunction with a tubular lining 16, three annular channels 17, communicating with the interior of said lining through a plurality of ports 18, arranged in the lining an equal distance apart and, having a combined area equal to steamways 13, so that the volume and pressure of the steam will not be reduced. in passing through said ports.

Said channels are of greater width than ribs 15 and communicate directly with the cylinder through ports 19, thus allowing airee iiow of steam to said cylinder. Ribs 15, in addition to strengthening the walls of the tubular compartment, bridge port. 19 and thus form continuous bearings for the lining.

\ The passage of steam through ports 18 1s controlled by a balanced piston-valve lslidably arranged within the lining and comprising a valve-stem 2() and three annular rims 21 having a longitudinal series of intervening spaces 22, equal in width to ports 18 and adapted to register simultaneously with two of said ports when the valve is in the position shown in Fig, 4. Rims 21 arel provided with spokes 23 and hubs 24,'which latter are secured uponthe valve-stem by a shoulder 25 and a nut 26 and retained the proper distance apart by sleeves 27 encircling the valve-stem and abutting against the adjacent ends of hubs 24. Rims 21 are made very thin in order to present a 'very slight area to the steam, and thus avoid end pressure on the valve when the latter is in operation.

IOO

Access may be had tothe interior of the form a steam-tight joint around that portion of the valve-stem extending therethrough. The valve-stems are provided at their outer ends with yokes 32a, arranged to slide back and forth in guides 33', secured to head 30.

'The piston-valves are reciprocated by ec- Y centrics 34,`rigidly mounted upon a longituf dinal counter-shaft 35, journaled inbearings 46, rigidly mounted upon the cra 36 and provided near its central portion with a rigidly-mounted bevel gear-wheel 37, which is driven by a similar gear-wheel 38, rigidly wall at points almost completely around the lin Fig. 2, and

cylinder and arranged midway between ports 19. (SeevFig. 2.) The flow of steam through ports 47 is controlled b an elon ated pistonead 48, extending w en at t e end of a stroke from a point close to one of ports 19 to within a short distance of ports 47 as shown rovided with a piston-stem 49, extending thi By making the exhaust-chest 7 segmental in cross-section the exhaust-steam circulates y around the greater portion of the cylinder before it escapes through exhaust-pipe 51. Hence the steam inf said cylinder will be maintained at a high degree of heat and of course prove more effective than if permitted to cool, as it would if said cylinder were exposed to the outer atmosphere. The steam in the cylinder is further protected by thev outer shell 52 of casing 4 and non-conducting material 53placed between said shell and the outer wall 54 ofthe exhaust-steam chest.

In operation steam is admitted to steamchest 'through supply-pipe 10 and passing through steamways 13 14venters tubular lin- 'ings 16 and the iston-valves ready to iiow into cylinders 6 t rough ports 19 just as soon -asports 18 are uncovered bythe valves,

which latter are arran ed to alternately open I and close said ports, t e high radiuses oi ec- Veach other on shaft 35.

centrics 34`being set diametrically opposite the piston-head occupies the position shown in Fig. 2 the piston-valve in the rear or left compartment 1 1 will begin to uncover ports 18, so that steam may iiow from steam-chest 5 to the rear of the piston-head, and thus advance the latter, while the piston-valve in the right-hand compartment is closed,A As the piston-head advances it will close vexhaustports 47 and thus entrap and compress anyv remaining steam within the cylinder, causin it to act as a cushion between the forwarM f cylinder-head 8 and the forward end of the pistn-'head as the latter approaches the end ough head 9, anda stuffingbox 50, formed at the outer side of said head.

For instance, whenof a forward stroke, the rear end of the piston-head will uncover exhaust-ports 47, and thus open an avenue of escape-for the` live steam in the rear ofsaid piston-head. The piston-valve in the rear of compartment l1 --will close before therear end of the piston-v head uncovers exhaust-ports 47 so the steam will b e used expansively in completing. the forward stroke of the .piston-head and'in order that live steam will not pass directly from said compartment to chest 7 through the cylinderV and the exhaust-ports. When the piston-head completes its forward stroke,

l.it will be immediately started backwardly by the admission'of steam from compartment 1 1 at the forward end ofthe steam-chest.

By locating they piston-valves close to ports 13 to 19 the steam has no long and narlrow passage-way through which to pass, and

by arranging ports 18 in the manner shown a large area and a short valve-stroke is obtained, or, in other words, the area exposed by the simultaneous opening of the three sets v 4of ports will equal three times the amount of s ace through which the piston-valves travel.

onsequent y steam pressure almost equaling that in the boiler is had in the cylinder, vhvitli1 its resultant eiliciency on the pistonea The area of ports 47 is sufficient to ermit the escape of practically all of ,the Ve auststeam in the cylinder before said ports are covered by the piston-head; but more or less of said exhaust-steam may be retained in the cylinder to act as a cushionby the proper adjustment of a valve (not shown) controlling the ilow of exhaust-steam through pipe 51.

While I have shown my improvements applied-to a horizontal engine, it of course will prove equally as eective in engines of the vertical type, and I claim the right 'to make such changes in the construction and arrange- IOO IIO

I claim, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a steam-engine, the combination with the cylinder and piston', and a steam-chest cast longitudinally upon the cylinder; of a curved upright partition extending transversely across each end of the chest and con- Y tinued aroundfor a full semicircle so as'to formv a' tubular compartment therein, the

'partition terminating-short ofthe ends of the compartment to form steamways at the top and bottom for the admission of live steam' into the compartment and beingalso of such diameter that the compartment will be of greater height than the chest, a port connect- 111g the cylinder with each compartment, and

a valve in thel latter.

2. lIn a steam-engine, the combination with the piston, the steam-chest, and the valves IZO Tof-a forward stroke. .When nearing the end ,thereim of a eylinderfcommunicating with 1go IoA -verse valves therein at the ends thereof; of a the valve-chambers and having a segmental I series of .exhaust-ports at the center of its I speced from the cylinder throughout its entire length to forni a segmental exhauststean chest communicating with said ports, l for the purpose set forth. 1

3. In a steam-engine, the combination with the piston, the live-steam chest, and transeylinder subjacent to and continuous with t .le length of the steam-chest, communicating with the vulve-chambers thereof, and

4 1 concentric Well surroundinOr and spaced ffoin length, and e. concentric Wall surrounding and i having a segmental series of eXhaust-ports, a

I5 the cylinder throughout its length to form ey segmental steam-chest communicating with said exhausvports, and an outer shell inclosing said Well, for the purpose sct forth.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature 2o in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARL LS L. SNYDER. 

